Disclaimer: I do not own the characters already depicted in Star Trek: Enterprise, and I'm not making any money off this story. All other characters are of my design.
Spoilers: General for season 1, 2 and 3.
Archive: If you want to. Please tell me first though.
A/N: Well, this is my first Enterprise fanfic, my second fanfic overall. Keep in mind that I'm in Australia, so I haven't seen season 3 yet, and what I know of it is based on reading other people's fanfic and other bits and pieces saying what's happening in the episodes. So, if there's anything majorly wrong that way, please email me and let me know, and I'll attempt to fix it. I'm also assuming that somehow the end of season 3 was resolved, and that undoubtedly it causes more damage to Enterprise. Also, forgive me if my spelling at times does not correspond to standard American spelling. I'll do my best, but you never know.
Chapter 11 year previously.
Dear Mother and Father"What a bloody brilliant beginning," Malcolm said self-deprecatingly. "What am I meant to write in this. 'Hello, it's your son here. You know, the one that can't swim and never joined the navy. Remember him? Well, he's going on a suicide mission to help save Earth. So don't worry, Father, you'll never have to be ashamed of me again. People might even call your disappointing son a hero.'"
He sat stiffly in his chair in the armoury for a few moments, before deleting the last two words.
Dear Mother,
I will be out of contact for some time. Please accept my apologies for this and explain to Father for me. Hope that you are well.
From,
Your Son.
Many years previously.
Malcolm Reed,
What do you think you are doing? You were meant to apply to the Navy two days ago. Your sister said that you were talking about that space program again. Reeds are Navy men, nothing else. You have already disgraced me enough. Do not even think about coming home unless you can tell me that you have joined up!
The Present.
The bridge crew sat in stunned silence. Captain Jonathon Archer watched their facial expressions, or lack there of, with some amusement.
'You would think that I've run over their cat, dog, rabbit, mouse, goldfish...' he thought.
The next few moments were spent thinking of increasingly outrageous pets that were starting to do more damage to the vehicle in his mind than the vehicle was to them. When he reached a kangaroo, an animal that he'd heard did a huge amount of damage to a vehicle, he stopped the mental list and looked again at their faces, categorising their expressions. Hoshi – slight horror, probably not quite over how she'd been used by the Xindi, Travis – some sadness, but dawning enthusiasm, Malcolm – like somebody suggested he go for a swim, no, make that ordered, T'Pol – well, like T'Pol, and finally Trip, whose face had very quickly disappeared back under the console he was repairing. However, Jonathon had caught a very quick glimpse of what he thought was raw panic. Understandable, he'll have to face the loss of Lizzie all over again.
Hoshi finally stated, "Our parents are coming here."
The thoughts of the six officers were almost audible, but impossible for anybody else to decipher.
'What if they find out?'
'I'll have to do this sometime.'
'I wish my dad was here,' shared by two minds.
'They will not come,' a similar thought echoed by the last two minds.
TBC
A/N: If you've gotten this far, you've read it, so please review. Thank you. Constructive criticism most welcomed, flames not.